Photographs: Cork city

Cape-gooseberry Physalis peruviana Family: Solanaceae Perennial. Introduced. Infrequent alien. Broadly bell-shaped solitary flowers, creamy-yellow with dark blotches in throat. Calyx 5-lobed, purplish-green, hairy. Calyx tube enlarges and becomes straw-coloured husk, much larger than fruit. Green berries, ripening yellow-orange. Many small yellow seeds. Leaves cordate, randomly toothed, pointed. Spreading ribbed branches. Hairy. Height: Usually to 100cm, can grow to 1.8m. Very infrequent, few records of Physalis for Ireland. Identification confirmed by Paul Green

    
Above: Cape-gooseberry. Car park, Cork city. January 2008